After Midnight
by Twistedsyns
Summary: The Doctor needs to rest and only Donna can make sure that he does.


It had been a week since the Planet Midnight and the Doctor was still awake. He hadn't slept since before the Library. Midnight was suppose to be a rest stop for him and Donna but it had turned out to be anything but peaceful. He had barely gotten off the planet alive and they had left shortly after he had finished explaining to her what had happened. He tried to tell the owners of the Leisure Palace to take their business elsewhere but they wouldn't listen to him.

He walked around the controls slowly pressing buttons and pulling levers. His eyes closing for just a second as he checked the screen, but just as quickly popped back open. Donna watched him from the hallway. His clothes were wrinkled and his tie was loose. His hair was a mess. "Doctor," she called. He turned to look at her and she noticed how pale he was and the bags beneath his eyes. "When is the last time you slept," She asked concenered.

"I don't need sleep." He replied and just briefly she saw the flash of fear in his eyes, before he turned back to the controls. His head fell to the side again and the Tardis shook violently tossing them both to the ground. Donna stood up and watched the Doctor slowly crawl to his knees and than force himself to his feet. She noticed that his shoes were untied and he was missing a sock.

"Oi, Spaceman." she yelled at him.

She heard the familiar noise of the Tardis landing, and then she marched over to the Doctor and hit him hard in the arm. "What was that for," He asked angrily.

"You need sleep before you get us both killed." Donna said just as angrily.

He suddenly sounded sad and childlike. "I don't need to sleep."

"Come on," Donna said gently and dragged him with her down the hall.

She opened his bedroom door and led him to his bed. She pushed him down on it and then pulled off his shoes and remaining sock. She undid his tie and pulled it over his head. She started to undo the buttons on his shirt and he slapped her hand away. "You do it than." He just stared at her, until she reached for them again. He sighed and unbuttoned his shirt and she helped him slip it off, leaving his undershirt on. "Now the belt," She scolded. "Do you want to see me naked, Donna," he asked with a grin. She threw a pair of pajama pants at him and his face fell as he recognized them as the same ones that Rose had changed him into after he regenerated. He stood up and walked to the closet. "Turn your back," he told Donna and then changed into another pair of pants.

He left the room and headed back towards the control room. "No you don't spaceman," She grabbed his arm and led him back into his room and back to his bed. She pulled back the covers and then pushed him onto the bed again. He sat there. She sighed. "You need to sleep."

"Please, don't make me sleep," He sounded so afraid, that it angered her and broke her heart at the same time. She gently, smoothed back his hair. "I'll stay with you. Just wait here." She went to her room and changed. When she came back she was surprised to see him still sitting there, looking lost. She went to the other side of the bed, pulled back the covers and laid down. "Come on spaceman." He finally turned and laid down on the bed. Donna pulled the covers over both of them and than surprising even herself, pulled him over to her and held him. She felt him shudder and heard him quietly start to weep. All the anger gone, she stroked his hair and just held him, feeling his tears soak her shirt. His breathing even out and she held him long after he had fallen asleep.

She fell asleep at one point and awoke to him crying for River to help him. He kept pleading with her to stop them from throwing him off the bus. He was shaking violently. "Doctor," she called out, not wanting to touch him and possibly make the dream worse. "Doctor," she called again. He opened his eyes a crack and looked at her. "You were having a nightmare," She said softly. He shifted on the bed closer to her and she wrapped her arms around him. He lay awake, fighting off sleep again, until his need for sleep won and he drifted off again.

When she woke the next day, he was all ready gone from the room. She walked quickly back to her room, showered and got dressed for the day. Grabbing an apple from the kitchen she walked to the control room to find him, fully dressed and looking better. He smiled at her as she entered the room. He rushed to the door grabbing his coat on the way. "Shan Shen, the Oriental planet," he began happily.


End file.
